Revolving trapeze



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L. A. VAIDIS.

REVOLVING TRAPEZE.

No. 402,495.. Patented Apr. 80,1889.

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' Patented Apr. 30, 1889.

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L. A. VAIDI-s. A REYOLVING TRAPEZE.

No. 402.495. PatentedApr. 3o.v 18.89.

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UNITED STATES LOUISE ADELE VAIDIS,

PATENT OFFICE.

on CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

REVOLVING TRAPEZE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,495, dated April 30, 1889. Application tiled January 8, 1389. Serial No. 295,781. (No model.) Patented in England July l2, 1886, No. 9,081.

To all whom it Irl/ty concern: l

Be it known that l, LOUISE ADELE VAIDIs, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing temporarily at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have' invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus known as the Revolving Trapeze, of

which the following is a speciiication.

f This invention relates to improvements in the apparatus known as a revolving trapeze, being an apparatus in which a rectangular or partly rectangular frame is pivoted in elevated bearings and carries one or more trapezes upon which gymnastic feats may be performed by one or more performers while the frame is being revolved by means of actuating mechanism provided for the purpose.

My invention consists, first, in certaIn 1mprovements in the mechanism for imparting rotation to the frame, whereby the Operation is rendered less difficult and more uniform than heretofore; secondly, in an improved construction of the parts composing the apparatus, whereby they may be more readily put together and dismounted than heretofore; thirdly, in certain improvements whereby the frame is rendered convertible into the form required either for one performer or two performers; fourthly, in means within the control of the gymnast for starting and stopping the revolution of the frame at will without cessation of the motive power, and, fifthly, in the construction by which the driving. mechanism is Concealed from-view.

In the drawings,vFigure l is a front elevation of an apparatus embodying certain features of my improvements adapted for one trapeze only; Fig. 2, a similar view of an apparatus embodying various features of my improvements 4and carrying two trapezes. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of an apparatus embodying various features of my improvements and carrying four trapezes. Fig. i is an enlarged view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of the housed drivingmechanism at the pivots; Fig. 5, ahorizontal section of the latter, taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detached view in elevation, showing the driving mechanism and gearing at the top and the means for starting and stopping the revolution of the frame at will; and Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view of a detail.

A is a horizontal tubular bar suspended from the ceiling or other proper support by means of hooks t. Passing through this tube and projecting beyond the ends thereof is a shaft, B, provided beyond the ends of the tube A with beveled gear-wheels s. Upon each end of the tube A is a yoke-shaped bearing, C. At one end the shaftB terminates within the yoke, and at the other it extends wholly through and beyond the yoke, asv shown, so that it may, if desired, be driven, or the driving may be aided by power applied to it there. Extending vertically downward from each yoke and rigidly connected thereto is a tubular bar, D, preferably braced by rods fr, depending from the yoke C. Near its lower end each tube D is divided into two parts and coupled together, as shown at q, the lower part, p, screwing into the upper part, as shown. Formed in one piece with the lower end of the tube D, or rigidly connected thereto, is the housing E, for the Vdriving mechanism, which acts directly upon the revolving frame. Passing down vertically through each tube D, whereby it ishiddenfrom the view of the spectators, is a shaft, F, formed in two parts at the coupling q, as indicated by the dotted lines at o in Fig. t--that is to say, by having an angular socket formed in the lower end of the upper portion of the shaft F, and the upper end of the lower portion made angular to fit that socket. Upon the lower end of each shaft F, within the housing E, is a worm, G, and upon the upper portion of that shaft, within the yoke C, is a beveled gearwheel, s', meshing with the'gear-wheel s.

H represents the journals of the revolving frame I extending into the housings E, which serve as bearings for the journals, and wherein they rest upon anti-friction rollers n. Rigid with each journal H, within the housing E, is a gear-wheel, K, meshing with the worm G., whereby rotation may be imparted from the shaft F to the frame I.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that in the complete form of my apparatus the driving mechanism is alike at both journals of the frame I, and the eect of this is not only to facilitate the operation, but also to insure smoothness and uniformity in the movement, all of which is of great importance in an apparatus of this kind, since the feats IOO performed thereon are frequently of a hazardous nature, requiring great delicacy of poise, and any irregularity in the movement of the apparatus is liable to be attended with great danger to the gymnast. The driving maybe done, however, by mechanism upon one side only of the apparatus, and therefore, so far as the specific construction of the driving mechanism and the housing of the same to conceal it from view are concerned, I do not limit myself to its use in duplicate.

Ordinarily when in use the apparatus is suspended from the ceiling` of the theater at a considerable distance outward from the stage, and a driving-shaft F is caused to eX- tend through the ceiling into an apartment above, where it is operated by means of a suitable crank or windlass. j

By having` all the actuating parts concealed from view, as above described, more or less mystery is associated with the mode of operation, which adds greatly to the attractiveness of the performance.

L L represent the trapezes suspended from the frames I. These frames in the form employed for two or four performers are substantially rectangular, and are braced by means of truss-rods at the sides, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

lVhen the apparatus is intended for one performer only, it is necessary that one end of the frame I shall be properly counterbalanced. Obviously, for this purpose the frame might remain unchanged and a suitable weight be attached to the end of the frame not in use; but the effect of this is to give the idea of an unfinished performance.

If the apparatus is used by one performer, it is not well that it should have the appearance of being intended for two; hence when the apparatus is to be used by one performer onlyI wholly omit one end of the rectangular frame I and attach weighted bars M to the side bars of the frame. The side bars of the frame are formed in sections, and are coupled together toward their centers by screw-connections in, and if the frame is to be used for only one performer the weighted bars M are screwed into place at these points of coupling instead of the regular terminal portions of the side bars. The counterpoise may be adjusted to the weight of the performer by the distance to which the weights M are caused to extend along the bars carrying them. Vhen the frame is thus converted, the truss-rods upon the weighted portion of the side bars may or may not be omitted.

The apparatus may be driven from one of the shafts F or from the shaft B, or both, and the motive force may either be manual or of any other form-as, for example, in the form of a steam, spring, or electrical appliance. Particularly when the apparatus is driven by some power other than manual (though it is desirable also in the latter case) means should be provided within the reach of the gymnast for starting and stopping the revolution at will. For this purpose I have provided the device represented in detail in Fig. '7, which is as follows:

At or near the center the shaft B is provided with two fixed collars, Z Z, and between these collars the shaft is embraced bya loose collar or fork, k, having an extensiom, passing up throughaslot, 7L, in the top of the tube A. The extension i, which is within the reach of the performer, may terminate in a knob, g. By moving the extension to the right or left, as the case may be, the shaftB may be thrown into or out of gear with the shafts F, thus giving the gymnast control of the apparatus. Of course when this device is employed, the beveled wheels s must be upon corresponding sides of the beveled wheels s; or it may be employed in conjunction with driving and worm gear mechanism on only one side of the apparatus.

That I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is`

l. In a revolving trapeze, the combination, with the frame I, having journals H, each provided with a worm gear-wheel, K, of vertical shafts F, each having at its lower end a worm, g, meshing with the worm-Wheel K, and toward its upper end with a beveled wheel, s', horizontal shaft B, having beveled wheels s, meshing with the beveled wheels s', and means, substantially as described, for supporting said shafts, whereby power applied to the turning of either of said shafts acts simultaneously upon both journals of the frame, substantially as described.

2. In a revolving trapeze, the combination, with the supported tube A and yokes C, of shaft B, passing through the tube A and having the beveled gear-wheels s, pendent tubes D, carrying the housings E and supported from the yokes C, vertical shafts F, having the beveled gear-wheels s toward their upper ends and carrying the worms G at their lower ends, frames I, having the journals II resting in anti-friction bearings in the housings E, and worm-wheels K on the journals II, meshing with the worms g, substantially as described.

In a revolving trapeze, the combination of the pendent vertical tubes D, carrying the housings E, separable toward their lower ends by means of a screw-connection, q, and the pendent shafts F, inclosed in said tubes and carrying the worms g, and made separable within the inclosing-tubes by means of the angular socket and stem-connection o, substantially as described.

4. In a revolving trapeze, the side bars of the revolving frame I thereof, made separable toward their centers by screw-connections m, whereby an entire end may be omitted and weighted bars M substituted in lieu thereof, substantially as described.

5. In a revolving trapeze, the revolving frame thereof mounted in pendent bearings, in combination with housed Worin-gear mechanism and a housed driving-shaft therefor,

IOO

whereby motion is transmitted to the revolving frame through means invisible to the gen-y l eral spectators, substantially as described.

with the journalH of the revolving frame and tubular bar D, of the housing E, forming a bearing for the journal and provided with the hollow extension p, constituting the lower portion of the tubular bar D, which incloses the driving-shaft, anti-f riction rollers n, wormwheel K, mounted upon the journal, and driving-shaft F, carrying the worm G, meshing with the worm-wheel K, substantiallyas described.

LoUIsE ADELE vAIDIs.

ln presence of JOHN HENRY ALLEN, J. W. DYRENEORTH. 

